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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

#BIR2012 - MIRAGE by Kristi Cook - Exclusive ETERNAL Excerpt

Welcome to day three of Best I've Read 2012!Be sure to stop by the official BIR blog to see our overall picks for today: TAKE A BOW by Elizabeth Eulberg and GRAVE MERCY by R.L. LaFevers.Today, I'm featuring one of my favorite authors and sequels of all time: MIRAGE by Kristi Cook. I can't gush enough about how amazing this book is. It doesn't fall into that second-book trap of the couple breaking up and dragging in the middle. This book is unputdownable in every way.For those of you new to BIR, you may not know that Kristi's debut HAVEN was featured on the official BIR blog last year and we had the honor of revealing the cover for MIRAGE then. You can check that out HERE.

Here's a little about MIRAGE:

MIRAGE by Kristi CookReleased: June 5, 2012Publisher: Simon PulseFind Kristi Online: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / FacebookFrom Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old
Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled
to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and
disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of
everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether
she and Aidan are really meant to be together.

******

Because I love this series so much, and I know if you've read any of the books so far, you're probably dying to know what's going to happen in book three, Kristi has agreed to let me give you an extra special treat today:An exclusive excerpt from book three, ETERNAL!Okay, okay, are you done screaming with excitement? Or maybe you've already skipped ahead and aren't even reading this.....so go ahead. Read it!

***ETERNAL Excerpt***

“What is it?” I asked.

His gaze met mine, and only
then did I notice the faintest trace of red creeping in.The sight should have frightened me, but it
didn’t.“I’m sorry your birthday was
ruined,” he said at last.“I had such
plans for after.Our own, private
party.”

“I know.”My pulse leapt, my mouth suddenly dry.

“Tell me, Vi,” he said, his
brow knitted as he trailed a finger down the side of my face.“Do you believe in the whole concept of soul
mates?”

I shook my head.“Honestly, I’m not sure.I mean, you just threw me off there with that
whole music thing,” I added with a smile.

“I think most people
misinterpret the concept,” Aidan began hesitantly.“They expect that their soul mate will be
just like them.You know, that a soft,
gentle intellectual will only fit with another soft, gentle intellectual.Or a fiery personality can only match another
fiery personality.But I think it’s just
the opposite, that soul mates are more like two sides of a coin.”

“Oh, really?” I said, intrigued
now.It was clear that he’d put a lot of
thought into this.

The corners of his mouth
twitched with a smile.“Yes,
really.And you and I…well, we’re so
very different, aren’t we?And yet…that
connection between us was almost instantaneous.You’re the lightheartedness to my solemnity, the spontaneity to my
careful planning, the light to my dark.If you’re heads, then I’m tails.Together, we’re a whole.Maybe
that’s what a soul mate truly
is.”

My eyes were damp, I realized,
swiping them with the back of my hand. “Do you have any idea how much I love
you?” I asked.

He leaned toward me, his
forehead against mine.“I’ve a pretty
good idea of it,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.“Which is why I should probably get you out
of here.”

I knew he was right, and yet I
couldn’t help but dip my head lower, brushing my lips against his mouth.I heard his breath catch in his throat, felt
him clench his hands into fists by his sides.Still, I opened my mouth against his, needing to taste him, my soul mate.

I was breathless when I finally
pulled away, my skin flushed all over, my lips slightly swollen and
bruised.Lifting one trembling hand, I
traced his bottom lip with my index finger, wincing as I made contact with one
sharp, elongated canine.

“I could really use that cure
right about now,” Aidan groaned, a hint of desperation in his voice.

***Giveaway***

Thanks to Kristi, I am giving away one SIGNED copy of HAVEN and an a SIGNED (by both Kristi and the artist) artwork poster for the Winterhaven series. (Here is a LINK to a photo of both the artist and the poster over at Wicked Awesome Books).

This giveaway is subject to all BIR contest rules and open to U.S. mailing addresses. Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

I really enjoy reading books that the characters are staying in a boarding school. I guess its because they sorta of have a little mom freedom. And I love that the characters each have a different ability. It makes the story more interesting. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!!